A Question about Durant, See inside for info! Options

[Yuka]

I'm not too fond of using Durant for some bizarre reason, but does he become essential later in the game?

[Dr Strum]

Potentially.
He can class change.

[Rhiannon]

He's not really needed. But sometimes you'll have to select him if there's nobody else to. So I guess technically you do have to use him at some point, but no, not really.

I'm so confusing.

[Anonoymous BBS]

He's a Good unit in my experience.

I could take out witches easily with Durant (even with magic being stronger then the melee weapons).

You should be using all your units when possible anyways (or select the ones you are most comfortable with if there's a limit)

This post has been edited by Anonoymous BBS: Sep 21 2006, 02:48 PM

[ChefMKT]

Use all units possible? Are you insane?! If you do that, everyone would be underlevelled compared to later enemies. They'll slaughter you unless you have the appropiate cards when they initiate the attack.

I have to admit, Durant is only semi useful compared to other units but when he class changes he can take on most units. The downside is that in order to stand up to the enemies, he has to be levelled up throughout the whole game until you get the item. Myself, I prefer using the hunters and whoever I chose as my staff user.

[Dr Strum]

It's really not that hard to use most units, MKT. Especially if you don't get the optional characters.
And being low levelled really doesn't matter. If you go for Bad Ending #2 (as most do) all your used characters will be max level by the end of the game...

[ChefMKT]

I never said that it was hard using most units, I said all units possible, which would be 8. Not only that having 8 units means you'd be spreading your experience gains, you'd also be spreading your MVP bonuses alot more unless you used one character to continually slaughter the opposition which I did in my first play through. Damn Milanor for being way overpowered. >_> Without getting the optional characters, you'd only have 6 units, which is a lot more managable.

And yes, being underlevelled doesn't matter for that particular battlefield. However, getting up to that point would be harder if you were underlevelled or have low stats which was what I was trying to point out.

[Dr Strum]

First, fight people you're weak against. That's quadruple EXP. Second, I said most, since not getting the optional characters would imply that you cannot use all. Third, you're misslabeling; the MVP bonus is the extra point you get if you beat it in a certain amount of time. Fourth, MVP really means very little. Fifth, getting up to the level is not hard at all underleveled. You're handed so many damn items that do so much, especially in the later levels where you're unlikely to find one that doesn't put most stats up by a full star. Not to mention cards, especially the egregiously broken ones such as Kiss of Death (WELL GOODBYE STAT DISADVANTAGE AND HELLO SUDDEN STAT ADVANTAGE) and Jihad (GOODBYE ALL OPPOSING UNITS REGARDLESS OF STRENGTH).

[ChefMKT]

1) Really? I didn't know that! D:

2) Fair enough then.

3) Since the stat gained for being MVP is independant of the character's level, I consider +1 and +2 stat gained for being MVP as bonuses. I should have been more clear about that and not said MVP bonuses.

4) MVP stat bonuses are little, but so are stat gains from level ups. Combining both MVP and stat gains can be the difference of getting that next big star.

5) Yes, the items are damn useful but some of the items have an effect which I probably won't be aware of since I can't read the text. The only indication I have is the circle, dash, and cross. That is enough but I'd still like to know what the actual effect is. An example is the feathered sandles stolen from Mizer. It took me a few battles to figure out that it gives the unit 0% terrain bonus.

Those two cards are definitely broken, but once they're used, you'd have to wait until the next map or when the cards are replenished for the next phase of the battlefield but it's definitely better than getting slaughtered by the opposition though and gives the units involved some experience for it.

[Dr Strum]

1) Really? I didn't know that! D:

How could you not...? You fought, and beat, Gulcasa, didn't you...?

3) Since the stat gained for being MVP is independant of the character's level, I consider +1 and +2 stat gained for being MVP as bonuses. I should have been more clear about that and not said MVP bonuses.

But it's a misnomer. You always get a stat upped for the MVP. The MVP Bonus is the extra bit you get when you beat the level in a certain amount of turns.

4) MVP stat bonuses are little, but so are stat gains from level ups. Combining both MVP and stat gains can be the difference of getting that next big star.

Little stars are still counted, you know. Not toward skills, but they do make a difference.

5) Yes, the items are damn useful but some of the items have an effect which I probably won't be aware of since I can't read the text. The only indication I have is the circle, dash, and cross. That is enough but I'd still like to know what the actual effect is. An example is the feathered sandles stolen from Mizer. It took me a few battles to figure out that it gives the unit 0% terrain bonus.

Well, a little hint.
O = "Good" effect. It could actually be bad, however, based on the situation.
- = Neutral effect. I don't really remember any items with this.
X = BAD. Usually. It can be good, depending on the situation, but in most cases it's bad. I think the items you get from Pamela (you should know their effects) have this.
The thing is, the items you get in the end game are almost all fucking good. I remember one item I got late in, for Elena or Milanor, I think, that continued to charge my aggression at all times. Even when in Aggressive mode. Albeit slow, but it did.

Those two cards are definitely broken, but once they're used, you'd have to wait until the next map or when the cards are replenished for the next phase of the battlefield but it's definitely better than getting slaughtered by the opposition though and gives the units involved some experience for it.

Yes, but you can use them as many as seventeen times (in theory, though I don't know if there's a practical moment for it) without have to wait for the "reshuffle" time.

[ChefMKT]

How could you not...? You fought, and beat, Gulcasa, didn't you...?

I didn't know it quadrupled against units you're weak against. I thought Gulcasa only gave buttloads of exp because he's Gulcasa.

But it's a misnomer. You always get a stat upped for the MVP. The MVP Bonus is the extra bit you get when you beat the level in a certain amount of turns.

Yes yes, I labelled it wrongly. I should've said the stat bonuses gained from MVPs.

Little stars are still counted, you know. Not toward skills, but they do make a difference.

Oh, little stars don't count towards skills? No freaking wonder that Medusa Eye kept stoning my hunter in that battlefield. =(! Also, if little stars are counted towards the general skirmishes itself, that'd make MVPs somewhat of value, especially LUK when trying to get enemies to drop items. Of course, there's items to increase stats permanently. Getting MVPs to reach the next big star however, will maximize the efficiency of the item since they boost the stat until the next big star.

Well, a little hint.
O = "Good" effect. It could actually be bad, however, based on the situation.
- = Neutral effect. I don't really remember any items with this.
X = BAD. Usually. It can be good, depending on the situation, but in most cases it's bad. I think the items you get from Pamela (you should know their effects) have this.
The thing is, the items you get in the end game are almost all fucking good. I remember one item I got late in, for Elena or Milanor, I think, that continued to charge my aggression at all times. Even when in Aggressive mode. Albeit slow, but it did.

Yeah, I knew what the symbols meant and as you said, sometimes the 'good effects' can be bad in certain situations. I'll probably wait for the english version so I can decipher what these effects do.

Yes, but you can use them as many as seventeen times (in theory, though I don't know if there's a practical moment for it) without have to wait for the "reshuffle" time.

Seventeen times you say? That's interesting. Could you explain how this would work? (In theory of course)

[Dr Strum]

This is assuming two enemy parties each with the maximum amount of units, as well as a neutral unit "on your side" of the opposite gender. First, you union against the max amount of units, alone, and using (lets say, in this case) Jihad against each. That's five times. First enemy team goes, and attacks you with a full force, you use Jihad five times, for a current total of ten. Second enemy team attacks you at full force, you use Jihad another five times, a current total of fifteen. Neutral "ally" goes, attacks, unioning with you, giving you two more times to use it. Grand total of seventeen. It COULD be up to twenty, I think, but I don't think there's ever a battle with all four teams where one wasn't a neutral "ally."

Something I just realized, this example doesn't technically work, since it would use the neutral party's card, so, unless they have Jihad, that's a no no. But it works for other cards.

[Anonoymous BBS]

It isn't that bad to use all your units, even if they become slightly underlevelled.

You could use all your units with careful planning of unions, stats, mvps, items and card skills plus such.

[ChefMKT]

Yes, but this game involves a lot of luck (Damn criticals >_>) The stat bonus the MVP gives is put onto a random stat. You can't carefully plan that unless you abuse savestates. I just find that using two units with the same weapon type is wasting exp points for other units. The only exception would be hunters because they're freaking overpowered. Durant has that class changing item which lasts 3 maps and Nietzsche has the ability to travel over water and gain the best terrain advantage. Although Nietzsche's advantage is situational because she needs to be in water terrain, it's a lot better than having 3 maps of a Dragon Knight because at that point, Yggdra and Milanor are so ridiculously powerful there is no need for it and I'm sure some of us know the frustration when Durant gets criticaled.

But that's just my way of playing this. Not everyone will agree with this obviously but using two spear units / sword units is rather pointless in my opinion.

[Anonoymous BBS]

The enemy always finds a way to screw the player over.

Like Nessiah's "Ressurection" and Aegina's "Revolution"